Introduction

This well known game requires a participant to act out an activity which the others have to guess. Working with movements, the students get to associate specific words to a clear action. 

Target group and Time

Charades can be played from the first year of learning onwards. The better the language skills, the more complexe the game becomes. It can be single words, activities, or even cultural references (which would require quite sufficient language and social skills). The game can take up 10 to 15 mins.

Learning objectives

The object is to help students memorise words via visual cues. Instead of having an abstract association, charades helps students work with all senses. 

Instructions to set up the activity

- The students and the teacher sit in a circle.

- The Teacher explains to the students the game:

1. The teacher has cards with activities written on them.

2. The teacher explains that the cards will be given out at random.

3. The teacher explains that each student will be given a card with an activity which he/she will have to act out.

4. The teacher explains that the other students will have to guess the portrayed activity.

5. Once correctly guessed, another student will act out his/her activity.

- Once explained, the teacher asks if there are any questions.

1. If there are questions, the teacher can answer them before the game begins (the questions can be about the game itself, or the activities on the cards).

2. If there are no question, the game may beginn.

Letting it run

With students in the 5th or 6th grade, one could start the game with (single word) activities such as tennis, football, singing, cooking, reading, writing, etc.. Here, the students have to guess the activities in English, using the present progressive.

When the students are warmed up, the teacher could make it a bit more complicated. Simple phrases, titles of books (already discussed in class), new vocabulary, etc.. It is very important that the students know the activity (or its parts). If they do not know it, they can either ask the teacher (if they are acting it out), or the other students (if they are guessing it).

If everything works out well, the students can be divided into two groups. Then a competition can begin. The students of one group guess the activity of one student (also from their group). A time limit of 1 or 2 mins should be enough. Once successfully guessed, the other group gets to play.